The PipelineDevelopment Pipeline in Cairns - South
1 Proposed35applications in assessmentLeading · to July 2026See applications ↓
2 Approved981dwellings approved in 2024-25, or 0.62 per 100 existing dwellings a yearOfficial · ABS to June 2026See approvals ↓
3 Building73major projects committed or under construction, 24 of them already on siteForward · completions to 2030+See projects ↓
4 Delivered1,900new addresses verified since the 2021 Census, up 4.1% on the existing baseActual · to June 2026Where it landed ↓
In the 2024-25 financial year the ABS recorded 981 dwelling approvals across Cairns - South. Right now, 35 development applications are lodged in the Cairns local government area. AreaSearch tracks 73 major projects here that are committed or under construction, the largest being Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade at an estimated $1.09bn. On the ground, 1,900 new addresses have been verified since the 2021 Census — growth of 4.1% on the existing address base.
These four figures are deliberately not added together. An application, an
approval and a project under construction are often the same building at three points in its life,
measured by three different bodies with three different lags. Read them as a sequence, not a total.
ApprovedBuilding Approvals in Cairns - South
What councils and certifiers have formally
permitted — the ABS series, published about four months in arrears.
Approvals are running at 0.62 per 100 existing dwellings a year, below the Queensland rate of 0.77. The mix is genuinely split — 56% of recent approvals are detached houses and 44% are attached or higher-density dwellings. That is a clear shift toward density — the five-year average is 69% houses. The mix being approved closely matches what is already standing — 69% houses against 68% of existing homes. The average approved dwelling is valued at $416,000 in construction cost.
For its size, Cairns - South is adding 0.62 dwellings a year per 100 existing homes — below the Queensland rate of 0.77 and the national rate of 0.71. That is about 4.3 approvals a year for every 1,000 residents. Building intensity has fallen by about 55% across the published series.
Measured against people rather than housing stock, Cairns - South is approving 3.59 dwellings a year per 1,000 residents — below the Queensland rate of 6.67. The two rate views differ by household size, which here averages 2.8 people per home. Housing the projection to 2041 would need about 5.29 per 1,000 residents a year.
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing
homes, with Queensland and Australia for comparison. This is the
same activity as the totals view, divided by the size of the area — which is the only
fair way to compare a large SA3 with a small one.
Dwelling approvals a year per 1,000
residents, each year divided by that year’s estimated resident
population (ABS ERP at 30 June), not by today’s — which matters most in fast-growing
areas, where a fixed denominator can understate the early years by half. The most recent periods use the latest published ERP, as the population series runs a year behind approvals. Read it alongside the per-100-homes view: the two differ wherever household size does.
Dwelling units approved each financial year. The dashed line is the five-year average of 483.
How intensively is it building?
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing dwellings.
Cairns - South0.62
Queensland0.77
Australia0.71
What is here, and what is coming
Detached houses as a share of existing homes,
against the share of recent approvals.
Existing homes (2021 Census)68%
Approved, last 5 years69%
Approved, latest year56%
Detached housesApartments, townhouses & other
Approvals mix by year
Share of each year’s approvals.
2022
2023
2024
2025
2024-25
$417m
Residential work approved
2024-25
$448m
Commercial work approved
construction cost
$416,000
Average value per approved dwelling
last two years
196
Residents per approval
Supply & DemandIs Cairns - South Building Enough Homes?
The same approvals, measured against the population
they have to house.
Cairns - South approves about 4.3 new dwellings a year for every 1,000 residents. Since the 2021 Census it has added 7,283 residents but only 1,900 new addresses — about 3.8 extra people for every home built, against an average household of 2.8. On those numbers supply has not kept pace with growth. Housing the population projected for 2041 implies roughly 596 new dwellings a year from here, which puts the recent approval rate of 483 a year behind what the projection needs.
Growth against supply since the Census
People added for every new address verified,
against the size of an average local household.
People added per new home3.8
Average household size2.8
A bar longer than the household average means
the area gained more residents than its new housing could hold, and the extra had to be
absorbed by existing homes.
Approval rate against projected need
Dwellings a year: what is currently being
approved, against what the 2041 population projection implies.
Approved (5-yr average)483
Implied need to 2041596
Implied need assumes the average household stays
at today’s 2.8 people. Approvals are not
completions, and not every approval is built.
What is being asked for right now — applications
collected from council planning portals, before any of it reaches the ABS series above.
AreaSearch tracks applications of material scale; routine minor works such as signage and
fencing changes are not carried, so these are not counts of every application lodged. 51
of them carry an AreaSearch analyst assessment — look for the
Analysed marker in the search below.
AreaSearch tracks 369 development applications of material scale lodged with council across Cairns - South, the most recent in July 2026. 35 of them are still in assessment. The most common types in the queue are commercial, industrial and retail. Live applications account for about 479 proposed dwellings.
Number of applications by development type. This is the clearest
single picture of what kind of place Cairns - South is being asked to become. Councils in
Queensland do not publish an estimated cost of works in
their planning feeds, so applications here are counted rather than valued. A further 1 application sit across
1 smaller category,
too few to plot.
Where the applications stand
As reported by the council. Highlighted rows are
applications still in assessment.
Lodged35
Listed10
10 applications are still marked under
assessment but were lodged more than
18 months ago. Councils often leave determined or
abandoned applications open in their feeds, so
they are counted here but excluded
from the live queue above.
A further 324 applications carry no status in the council feed.
By local government area
Applications on record within each council area that
overlaps Cairns - South. This counts applications inside this
statistical area only — it is not a total for the council.
Cairns369
Recent applications in Cairns - South
By the number of dwellings proposed, as lodged. Figures are the applicant’s own and are not verified by AreaSearch.
Extension to currency period for an approved 3-tower mixed-use development.Cairns City · Lodged · lodged Jun 2026
221 dwellings
73-unit social housing development with ground-level and structured car parkingEarlville - Bayview Heights · Lodged · lodged Jul 2026
73 dwellings
73-unit social housing development with ground-level and structured car parkingEarlville - Bayview Heights · Lodged · lodged Jul 2026
73 dwellings
Extension of time for MCU for 42 multiple dwellings plus manager's unit across 4 buildingsKanimbla - Mooroobool · Lodged · lodged Jun 2026
43 dwellings
14-storey mixed-use development with 35 dwellings, 72 short-term units and ground floor food outletCairns City · Lodged · lodged Jul 2026
35 dwellings
Minor change to approved 12-dwelling development to add a plunge pool and upgrade communal open space.Manunda · Lodged · lodged Jun 2026
12 dwellings
Minor change to approved 12-dwelling development to add a plunge pool and upgrade communal open space.Manunda · Lodged · lodged Jun 2026
12 dwellings
Retention of existing dwelling and construction of three new single-storey dwellings.Manunda · Lodged · lodged Jun 2026
4 dwellings
BuildingFORWARDMajor Projects & Infrastructure in Cairns - South
What is funded and moving — the projects large enough
to change how Cairns - South works, ranked by committed value and how close
they are to delivery.
AreaSearch tracks 73 current projects across Cairns - South. The largest is Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade at an estimated $1.09bn, due by 2032. That breaks down as 24 under construction, 12 approved and awaiting a start and 37 still in planning. The pipeline is weighted toward residential development, transport & logistics and environmental & disaster management.
Under construction$472mby 2026
Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Project
Cairns Water Security Stage 1 is a $472 million integrated drinking water supply project at Gordonvale. It includes a Mulgrave River intake, a new water treatment plant, 5 ML and 8 ML reservoirs, about 30 km…
Queensland's largest social and affordable housing precinct, delivering 490 modern, energy-efficient apartments specifically for seniors over 55 and people living with disability. The project utilizes…
Cherrybrook is a master-planned residential community in Bentley Park, Cairns, featuring over 330 lots across 38.6 hectares. Fringed by World Heritage Rainforest, the estate offers custom homes and house and…
Cairns Smart Green Economy InitiativeUnder construction · Environmental & Disaster Management · by 2030 · Cairns City
$540m
Cairns Hospital Expansion ProjectUnder construction · Health & Medical · by 2031 · Cairns City
$1.00bn
Pinecrest Estate Mount PeterUnder construction · Communities · by 2031 · Westcourt - Bungalow
$500m
Kanimbla Heights EstateUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2026 · Whitfield - Edge Hill
$200m
Mount Peter Residential EstateUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2030 · Gordonvale - Trinity
$450m
The OutlookUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2027 · Bentley Park
$150m
C3 CairnsIn planning · Residential Development · by 2029 · Cairns City
$550m
JCU Dugurrdja Precinct - Far North Private HospitalUnder construction · Health & Medical · by 2027 · Cairns City
$80m
Cairns Marine Precinct Common User FacilityIn planning · Ports, Marinas, Fisheries & Aquaculture · by 2028 · Gordonvale - Trinity
$360m
Pinecrest Master Planned CommunityUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2030 · Edmonton
$100m
Cairns Hospital Master Plan - Stage 1 ExpansionIn planning · Health & Medical · by 2031 · Cairns City
$1.00bn
Cairns Bruce Highway UpgradeIn planning · Transport & Logistics · by 2032 · White Rock
$1.09bn
58 further projects in
Cairns - South are not listed here.
Combined values on this page exclude
4 records that appear to be
separate stages of a project already counted. Both are still listed
above with their own values.
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as
definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other
investigations from the project’s source for actual imagery. Developers and
project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact
Us and we will do so.
Beyond 2030:
a further $4.33bn across
11 projects with completion dates further out — mostly precinct-scale programs whose dates are
indicative. Kept out of the chart so the years you can act on stay readable.
Estimated value of tracked projects by the year they are due to
complete, stacked by how certain they are. The dark band is money already being spent;
the pale band is still an intention. Estimates are indicative and mix infrastructure
cost with whole-of-precinct development value, so read the shape rather than the totals.
Approvals PipelineDevelopment Applications in Cairns - South
Development applications around
Cairns - South
Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch.
We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
Applications
—
In the local catchment
Est. Value
—
Where disclosed
Under Assessment
—
Awaiting determination
Determined
—
Approved or decided
Approvals pipelineStatus, location, timing and project scale
Loading development applications…
Lodged
Address
Description
Type
Distance
Status
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
ProfessionalPRODevelopment Map for Cairns - South
Applications and major projects plotted where
they are actually proposed, with the
101 projects AreaSearch tracks here on their own tab — filterable by type, delivery stage,
area and committed value. To search every application on record rather
than this sample, use the section above.
DistributionWhere Development Is Happening in Cairns - South
Cairns - South covers 13 statistical areas. Follow any of them through for a full profile of population, housing, sales and amenity at local scale.
Map builder
Each area below opens a map builder on its own page — a tool for
putting a map and a table into a report. Pick the place types you want plotted
(schools, supermarkets, medical, child care, transport and the rest of what
AreaSearch holds), add development applications as their own layer, drop your own
points, then recolour, renumber and export the result as a table or CSV.
A this area only toggle clips everything to the boundary you are looking at.
Searches are charged against your credit balance — 1 credit per 40
results from AreaSearch data — and setting filters costs nothing until
you search. The builder works on one suburb-sized area at a time, which is why it
opens per area rather than across the whole of
Cairns - South.
Planning AuthoritiesCouncils Covering Cairns - South
Development in Cairns - South is assessed within the Cairns local government area. AreaSearch publishes development
figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries. That is deliberate: the ABS
issues a separate official building-approvals series for local government areas, and totals
built up from statistical areas would not match it. Reporting at SA3 keeps every figure on this page
reconcilable with the published ABS series.
CompareNearby Development Hubs
The same view of building approvals, applications and
major projects for areas neighbouring Cairns - South.
Collected from council planning portals. The
earliest signal available, but the least certain: many applications are amended,
withdrawn or refused, values are the applicant’s own estimate, and coverage
varies by council. This is a curated set, not the full council feed:
AreaSearch carries applications of material scale and does not track routine minor
works such as signage, fencing or small alterations, so the counts here are lower
than a council’s own total lodgement figure and should not be compared with it. Applications still shown as under assessment more than
18 months after lodgement are reported separately
and kept out of the live-queue figures: the age profile of open applications is
sharply split between a genuine queue under a year old and a long tail of records
councils never closed. Not every state publishes a cost of works — Queensland,
the Northern Territory and the ACT publish none at all — so on those pages
applications are counted rather than valued and no dollar figure is shown
rather than a partial one. Treated here as a snapshot of the current queue only —
AreaSearch does not chart application counts over time, because the history
reflects when each portal was collected rather than when development happened.
Approved — ABS building approvals
The official series, aggregated to SA3 from
ABS building approvals data, currently published to June 2026.
Counts dwelling units approved, not buildings and not completions. The most recent
financial year is annualised from nine months of data wherever it appears and is
labelled as such.
Building — major projects
Projects tracked individually by AreaSearch
from Infrastructure Australia, state infrastructure agencies, developer disclosures
and council records. Values are estimates and delivery dates are targets. Ranked on
this page by committed value and delivery stage rather than by distance.
Delivered — verified new addresses
New residential addresses verified in the national
address register since the 2021 Census. This is the closest available measure of what has
actually been built, though address creation can lead occupation and lags
construction. It is not a completions count.
Boundaries
Cairns - South is Statistical Area Level 3 30602 in the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (2021 edition), made up of 13 Statistical Areas Level 2.
It has an estimated 112,772 residents, +6.9% since the 2021 Census.
Currency
Measure
Source
To
Dwelling approvals, five-year average
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
House share of approvals
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Residents per approval
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Value per approved dwelling
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Commercial work approved
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Verified new addresses since the Census
Address register / AreaSearch
May 2026
Development applications
Council planning portals
July 2026
Major projects
Infrastructure Australia / state agencies / AreaSearch
Ongoing
Figures on this page are read live from the
AreaSearch database each time it loads, so they update as soon as a source does.
Development in Cairns - South — common questions
How many new dwellings were approved in Cairns - South?
The ABS recorded 981 dwelling approvals across Cairns - South in the 2024-25 financial year, against a five-year average of 483 a year.
How many development applications are lodged in Cairns - South?
AreaSearch tracks 369 development applications of material scale across Cairns - South — routine minor works such as signage and fencing are not included, so this is not a count of every application lodged, of which 35 remain in assessment. Applications are assessed within the Cairns local government area. The most recent application in our data was lodged in July 2026.
What major projects are planned for Cairns - South?
AreaSearch tracks 73 current major projects in Cairns - South, 24 of them under construction. The largest include Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Project, Woree Social and Affordable Housing Precinct and Cherrybrook Estate.
Which council covers Cairns - South?
Cairns - South is an ABS Statistical Area Level 3. It is covered by the Cairns local government area. AreaSearch publishes development figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries, so they reconcile with the official ABS series.
Is Cairns - South growing faster than the rest of Queensland?
On development approvals, Cairns - South is adding new dwellings more slowly than Queensland as a whole — 0.62 approvals per 100 existing dwellings a year against the state figure of 0.77.
How current is this development data?
ABS building approvals are published with a lag of roughly four months; this page carries the series to June 2026. Development applications are collected from council planning portals and refresh continuously, with the most recent application here lodged in July 2026. Major project records are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Each section carries its own currency label so the four are never confused.
Development data is provided for general information.
Estimated values, dwelling counts and delivery dates come from the lodging or delivering party and
are not independently verified by AreaSearch. Confirm anything material with the relevant council
or agency before relying on it.
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as
definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other
investigations from the project’s source for actual imagery. Developers and
project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact
Us and we will do so.